Title: Trio
Author: Kene Nwabuoku Ojeola
Year of Publication: 2025
Number of Pages: 296
Category: Fantasy
When the young come close to power, hope naturally rises. We expect new ideas, honesty, and the courage to fix old mistakes. Trio quietly challenges that hope. From the start, Kene Nwabuoku Ojeola shows that power does not yield simply because a new generation arrives. It resists, fights, and adapts to survive. The subtitle, Change Is Not Welcome Here, is not just for show, it is the heart of the story.
Set in the fictional kingdom of Ikain, Trio is a political fantasy that feels familiar. Though the world is imaginary, its struggles are recognisable: powerful families clinging to authority and young heirs trying to step into roles shaped by their predecessors’ mistakes. The novel asks an important question: what happens when power should pass on, but those in control refuse to let it go?
At its center are three young characters, Ardarora, Uzhor, and Ifarnyi each showing a different approach to power. Together, they form the emotional and political core of the story.
Ardarora, born into royalty, faces constant scrutiny and blame, yet her strength is steady and quiet. She does not rebel but stands firm, showing the heavy burden women in leadership often carry. Uzhor, the heir, masks uncertainty with charm, aware that the throne is both a gift and a trap. Ifarnyi is guarded and unsettling. His silence challenges everyone around him, making him a quiet but powerful force of resistance.
As their paths cross, Ikain is pushed toward a reckoning it has long avoided. The old rulers, weakened by corruption and fear, cling tightly to power.
At its core, the novel is a battle between generations. The older rulers guard power even as the consequences of their actions emerge. Their children inherit not only authority but unresolved conflict. As the saying goes, an apple does not fall far from the tree, cycles of ambition, fear, and control repeat. Yet hope remains: the younger generation, flawed and sometimes divided, shows boldness and courage, suggesting that change, though difficult, is possible.
Ojeola also includes a quiet love story within the political tension, showing that personal vulnerability does not pause for national crises. This adds depth, highlighting how private desires often clash with public duty.
Ultimately, Trio is more than a tale of succession or political struggle. It reflects any system grown comfortable in corruption, mistaking tradition for progress and stability for true growth. The author raises important questions about leadership, accountability, and renewal, offering insights that reach far beyond Ikain. By showing the story through those closest to power, she provides a rare, honest look at how leaders face their failures and how difficult real change can be.
This is not a comforting book, but a necessary one. Trio demands patience, reflection, and engagement with hard truths. It is worth reading, not to reassure, but to challenge.
About the reviewer
Titilade Oyemade is a business executive in a leading organisation and holds a degree in Russian Language. She’s the convener of the Hangoutwithtee Ladies Event and the Publisher of Hangoutwithtee magazine. She spends her weekends attending women conferences, events and book readings. She loves to have fun and to help other women have the same in their lives. Email: titi.oyemade@gmail.com Social: @tiipreeofficial
